A skeptical left-liberal's blog, including skepticism about left-liberalism, but even more about other issues of politics. A skeptical look at Gnu Atheism, religion, social sciences, more. And me? I am who I am... more later...

October 24, 2012

Obama says: On your marks, get set, KILL!

The Washington Post reports President Barack Obama is, as we speak, continuing to expand a top-secret "kill list" of alleged terrorists. No word if he's doubling up on destroying civil liberties by including more American citizens, like Anwar al-Awlaki, on the list.And, this is just downright scary:

Although the matrix is a work in progress, the effort to create it reflects a reality setting in among the nation’s counterterrorism ranks: The United States’ conventional wars are winding down, but the government expects to continue adding names to kill or capture lists for years.

Among senior Obama administration officials, there is a broad consensus that such operations are likely to be extended at least another decade. Given the way al-Qaeda continues to metastasize, some officials said no clear end is in sight.

All right ... a decade of killing!Read the full story. It's five webpages long, and very in-depth. The Post says it's part one of a three-parter, too.

An email correspondent of Glenn's, in another post, said he would have loved this question at Monday's "debate" on foreign policy issues:

"Your administration has not just employed targeted killing; it has made
the case for targeted killing to the rest of the world. What would you
tell the leader of another country who wants to make use not only of
technology pioneered by America but also of legal arguments pioneered by
America? Do those arguments only count for America, or do they count
also for Russia, China, and well, North Korea and Hezbollah?"

I would have loved to hear that same question asked.

But, in America, it's really a silly question.

It's right because we're Americans, dammit. Most Repubs and most Dems both believe it. Answer No. 2? It's right because it's the guy from our party doing it, not the other guy.